Signal Examples Examples Examples

Tense Use Form

words affirmative negative interrogative

something happens I work. I don't work. Do I work?

every day repeatedly
He doesn't
He works. Does he work?
work.
sometimes how often something
happens I go. I don't go. Do I go?
always
one action follows
Simple often another
infinitive
Present
he/she/it +
or usually things in general
-s
Present Simple
seldom after the following He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?
verbs (to love, to hate,
never to think, etc.)

first ... future meaning:

then timetables,
programmes
something is happening I'm not
now I'm working. Am I working?
at the same time of working.
speaking or around it
Present at the to be He isn't
Progressive or moment (am/are/is) He's working. working.
Is he working?
future meaning: when
Present + infinitive +
you have already I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
Continuous Look! -ing
decided and
arranged to do it (a He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
Listen!
fixed plan, date)
last ... regular: I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
Simple action took place in the infinitive +
He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Past ... ago past, mostly connected -ed irregular:
or with an expression of 2nd column I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
Past in 1990 time (no connection to of table of
Simple the present) irregular He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
yesterday verbs
an action happened in I wasn't Was I
I was working.
the middle of another working. working?
action
was/were + He was He wasn't Was he
Past
Progressive or while someone was doing infinitive + working. working. working?
Past Continuous sth. at a certain time -ing I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
(in the past) - you do
not know whether it He wasn't
He was going. Was he going?
was finished or not going.

Simple just you say that sth. has have/has + I haven't Have I
I have worked.
Present happened or is finished past worked. worked?
Perfect yet in the past and it has a participle*
or connection to the He has He hasn't Has he
*(infinitive + worked. worked. worked?
Present never present
Perfect -ed) or (3rd I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
ever action started in the column of
past and continues up table of He has gone. He hasn't gone. Has he gone?
already to the present irregular
verbs)
so far,

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 up to now,

since

all day I have been I haven't been Have I been

action began in the
working. working. working?
past and has just
the whole
Present Perfect stopped He has been He hasn't been Has he been
day have/has +
Progressive or working. working. working?
been +
Present how long the action has
how long infinitive + I have been I haven't been Have I been
Perfect been happening
-ing going. going. going?
Continuous
since
emphasis: length of He has been He hasn't been Has he been
time of an action going. going. going?
for
mostly when two I hadn't
I had worked. Had I worked?
actions in a story are had + past worked.
Simple related to each other: participle*
Past already the action which had He had He hadn't Had he
*(infinitive + worked. worked. worked?
Perfect already happened is
or just put into Past Perfect, -ed) or (3rd I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
Past the other action into column of
Perfect never Simple Past table of
(Simple) irregular He hadn't
He had gone. Had he gone?
the past of the Present verbs) gone.
Perfect
I had been I hadn't been Had I been
working. working. working?
how long He had been He hadn't been Had he been
Past Perfect how long something
had + been working. working. working?
Progressive or had been happening
since + infinitive +
Past Perfect before something else I had been I hadn't been Had I been
ing
Continuous happened going. going. going?
for
He had been He hadn't been Had he been
going. going. going?
predictions about the I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
future (you think that
sth. will happen) He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
you decide to do sth.
spontaneously at the will +
will - future
time of speaking, you infinitive
haven't made a
decision before He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?

main clause in type I of

the if clauses
I'm going to I'm not going Am I going to
work. to work. work?
when you have already
decided to do sth. in be He's going to He's not going Is he going to
going to - the future (am/are/is) work. to work. work?
future + going to + I'm going to I'm not going Am I going to
what you think what infinitive go. to go. go?
will happen
He's going to He's not going Is he going to
go. to go. go?

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 An action will be in I won't be Will I be
I'll be working.
progress at a certain working. working?
time in the future. This
He'll be He won't be Will he be
Future action has begun
will + be + working. working. working?
Progressive or before the certain time.
infinitive +
Future I won't be Will I be
ing I'll be going.
Continuous going. going?
Something happens
because it normally He won't be Will he be
He'll be going.
happens. going. going?

will + have + I'll have I won't have Will I have

past worked. worked. worked?
Simple participle*
He'll have He won't have Will he have
Future sth. will already have
Perfect happened before a *(infinitive + worked. worked. worked?
or certain time in the -ed) or (3rd I won't have Will I have
Future Perfect future column of I'll have gone.
gone. gone?
Simple table of
irregular He'll have He won't have Will he have
verbs) gone. gone. gone?

I'll have been I won't have Will I have

sth. will already have working. been working. been working?
Future happened before a
Perfect certain time in the will + have + He'll have He won't have Will he have
Progressive or future been + been working. been working. been working?
Future infinitive + I'll have been I won't have Will I have
Perfect ing going. been going. been working?
Continuous emphasis: length of
time of an action He'll have He won't have Will he have
been going. been going. been working?
I wouldn't Would I
I would work.
work. work?
sth. that might happen
He would He wouldn't Would he
Conditional would + work. work. work?
main clause in type II
Simple infinitive
of the Conditional I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?
sentences
He wouldn't Would he
He would go.
go. go?
I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
working. working. working?
Conditional He would be He wouldn't be Would he be
sth. that might happen
Progressive would + be working. working. working?
or + infinitive +
emphasis: length of I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
Conditional ing
time of an action going. going. going?
Continuous
He would be He wouldn't be Would he be
going. going. going?
would + I would have I wouldn't Would I have
have + past worked. have worked. worked?
sth. that might have participle*
happened in the past He would have He wouldn't Would he have
*(infinitive + worked. have worked. worked?
Conditional (It's too late now.)
Perfect -ed) or (3rd I would have I wouldn't Would I have
main clause in type III column of gone. have gone. gone?
of the if clauses table of
irregular He would have He wouldn't Would I have
verbs) gone. have gone. gone?

Conditional sth. that might have would + I would have I wouldn't Would I have

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 have been
been working. been working?
working.
He would He wouldn't Would he
Perfect have been have been have been
happened in the past
Progressive
(It's too late now.) have + been going. going. working?
or
+ infinitive + I wouldn't
Conditional I would have Would I have
emphasis: length of ing have been
Perfect been going. been going?
time of an action going.
Continuous
He wouldn't Would he
He would have
have been have been
been going.
going. going?

We sometimes use Continuous instead of Progressive. Some signal words can be found in more tenses. We did not list
signal words in the future tenses as there are no definite ones. Always remember what action is described.

Chart of English Tenses

Affirmative/Negative/
Tense Use Signal Words
Question

Frequency adverbs (always, eve

 Habitual actions
Simple Present A: He speaks. never, normally, often, seldom,
N: He does not speak.  facts, general truths sometimes, usually)
Q: Does he speak? if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
 future meaning: a timetable or
once a day, twice a month...
schedule on Tuesdays

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Present Continuous A: He is speaking.
N: He is not speaking.
Q: Is he speaking?
Simple Past A: He spoke.
N: He did not speak.
Q: Did he speak?
Past Continuous A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?
Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken.
putting emphasis on the result
N: He has not spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?
Present Perfect Continuous A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking.
Q: Has he been speaking?
Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?
Past Perfect Progressive A: He had been speaking.
N: He had not been speaking.
Q: Had he been speaking?
Future Simple A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?
Shall I/we in questions
at the moment, just, just now, Li
 action taking place in the moment of
Look!, now, right now, at presen
speaking today, tonight, tomorrow, next w
 action taking place only for a limited
period of time
 action arranged for the future
yesterday,
 action in the past taking place once,
2 minutes ago, in 1990, the othe
never or several times last Friday
 actions taking place one after another if sentence type II (If I talked, …
 action taking place in the middle of
another action
when, while, as long as
 action going on at a certain time in the
past
 actions taking place at the same time
 action in the past that is interrupted by
another action
For + periods of time
Since + points in time
 action that is still going on already, ever, just, never, yet, so
now, up to now
 action that stopped recently
once, before
 finished action that has an influence on recently, lately
the present How long?
Today, this week, this year,this
 action that has taken place once, never this afternoon
or several times before the moment of speaking
all day, for 4 years, since 1993,
 putting emphasis on the course or
long?, the whole week
duration (not the result)
 action that recently stopped or is still
going on
 finished action that influenced the
present
already, just, never, not yet, onc
 action taking place before a certain
that day
time in the past if sentence type III (If I had talk
 sometimes interchangeable with past
perfect progressive
 putting emphasis only on the fact (not
the duration)
for, since, the whole day, all day
 action taking place before a certain
time in the past
 sometimes interchangeable with past
perfect simple
 putting emphasis on the duration or
course of an action
in a year, next …, tomorrow
 action in the future that cannot be
If-Sent. Type I (If you ask her, s
influenced (predictions) help you.)
 spontaneous decision Time clauses (when, as soon as,
after, until..)
 assumption with regard to the future I think, I don’t think, I’m sure
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A: He is going to speak.
Be going to N: He is not going to speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
Future Continuous A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?
Future Perfect A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?
suggestions, requests, offers promise, hope, expect, believe
probably, perhaps, maybe
in one year, next week, tomorro
 decision made for the future
 evidence with regard to the future
in one year, next week, tomorro
 action that is going on at a certain time
in the future
 action that is sure to happen in the near
future
by Monday, in a week
 action that will be finished at a certain
time in the future